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The Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, in whose honor former students founded the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies, recently retired from teaching this year after forty-four years of service at St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary, Holy Cross School of Theology, and the St. John of Damascus Theological Institute in Balamand, Lebanon. As many as thirty former students gathered from around the world to attend Fr. Paul's final class at St. Vladimir's Seminary, and to honor him at a special retirement dinner. They were joined by his brother Nouhad, who traveled from Lebanon, his daughter Reem, and his youngest son, Bassam.

Even into the final years of his illustrious career, Fr. Paul remained extremely active, having published during that time no fewer than ten books and a two-volume set of audio commentaries covering the entire Bible. Father Paul's unparalleled zeal for the Bible continues unabated in his retirement. He is translating his comprehensive audio commentaries on the Bible into Arabic, in a labor of love for the sake of his mother church in Antioch, offered in the hope of bringing solace to Christians in the Middle East during these difficult times. He is also currently completing work on the Chrysostom Bible Commentary series, with forthcoming books on Ephesians, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude.

Father Paul's retirement is a great loss for students of the Bible; however, his growing collection of writings and the continued work of OCABS will remain to serve future generations seeking the light of God's instruction.

Archpriest Thomas Zain, Vicar General of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese and Dean of St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn, NY, was interviewed by Jeanine Pirro of Fox News recently, about the plight of Christians in the Middle East. The interview was part of an ongoing series, "Christians Under Attack: A Justice Investigation." Noted Fr. Thomas, "Extremism is affecting all of the minorities in Syria, not just Christians."

With the approval of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and His Grace Bishop Basil (Antiochian Archdiocese of North America), the St. Panteleimon Fellowship has been launched for the benefit of all Orthodox health care professionals. This new organization has emerged from the coordinated efforts of Deacon Luke Stauffer, MD of St. Thomas Orthodox Mission in Frederickburg, TX and Father Symeon Kees of St. George Orthodox Church in Houston, TX.

The Great Martyr Panteleimon, a physician counted among the Unmercenary Healers of the Church, is our patron. Orthodox physicians, nurses, and all others who work in health care are invited into the Fellowship. Since the Church has always held the healing of the soul and body together, Orthodox clergy are certainly welcome. While our organization is currently rooted in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, all Orthodox Christians from our sister canonical jurisdictions are welcome. Indeed, the founders hope that the efforts of the Fellowship will create opportunities for health care professionals to share the Orthodox Way to non-Orthodox workers as well.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a man of traditions. All of us have fond memories and traditions of the Nativity of Our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus—also known as Christmas. I remember that as a child, I would not allow myself to be at home when the Christmas tree was taken down. In fact, I keep two trees up throughout the year-one Orthodox (decorated with small paper icons), and one secular. We also invite those who are alone to join us at Christmas dinner.

One tradition is the annual Christmas party for the homeless held at our Church of St. George in Orlando every December. On Friday, December 19, 2014, we had the joy and privilege to gather with over 400 homeless men, women and children and 111 volunteers to rejoice in the Lord. We hosted a band and set up tables with linens in our parking lot. The whole event was Christ-centered, as are all the feedings of the homeless at St. George's.

We regret to announce the repose of the soul of the servant of God and Archdeacon Elias 'Ely' Hamaty. Fr. Ely fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday afternoon 28 December at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton MA, surrounded by his devoted family.

Fr. Ely was born in 1934 and raised in the 'Syrian Colony' of Boston's South End. His parents, Mousa and Nour Hamaty were among the early members of St. George Orthodox Church of Boston. The Hamaty family emigrated from the village of Aafsdiq, Al-Koura near the Balamand Monastery where Mousa attended school and later worked as a cook. Fr. Ely's grandparents, Simon and Mariana, also worked at the Balamand Monastery. After arriving in Boston, his parents operated a successful family owned restaurant in the South End. Fr. Ely entered the family business and operated the restaurant before opening his own electronics firm. ELCO Electronics specialized in marine electronics and communications. Fr. Ely was an avid yachtsman and sports angler who fished the waters from Alaska to the Caribbean.

Be glad, you just, heavens rejoice, mountains leap for joy; Christ is born and the Virgin sits like the Cherubim throne carrying in her bosom God the Word made flesh. Shepherds glorify the one that is born; Magi offer gifts to the Master; Angels sing praises, saying: Lord beyond understanding, glory to you! (Lauds of Christmas Matins)

To the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Members of Philanthropic Organizations, the Youth and Youth Workers, and the entire Orthodox Christian Family of the United States of America.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we gather in our communities to celebrate the Great Feasts of the Nativity and Theophany, we offer praise, honor and worship to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who has rendered us worthy once again to rejoice with the Shepherds, pay homage with the Magi, and to exclaim with the Angelic Powers, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all!

During this time, each of us looks forward to experiencing our local customs and traditions, which we have received from our ancestors. We adorn our homes and our churches with lights, garland and tinsel; we sing carols together and exchange gifts with each other; and we crown our celebration by receiving the Holy Eucharist.

Ministering to those behind bars, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministries (OCPM) was founded in 1991 by Metropolitan Philip of Blessed Memory, who asked highly experienced prison minister Fr. Duane Pederson to coordinate the effort. Now headed by Fr. Stephen Powley, OCPM is an agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, and it continues to build on Father Duane's vision of ministering to prisoners and their families by mobilizing the Church.

Recently, OCPM launched a revamped website, theocpm.org. A recent post in the new "Latest News" column, for instance, shares a letter received by OCPM by a prisoner serving a life sentence.

The Department of Conventions and Conference Planning would like to inform parishes of the deadline for submitting bids to host the 2019 Archdiocese Convention is February 1, 2015. Parishes interested in bidding or obtaining information about the bidding process can contact the DCCP co-chairs, Carol Jazzar or Raed O. Sweiss. Please visit www.antiochian.org/conventions for contact and bid information.

The Antiochian Archdiocese's Orthodox Christian Coalition for Healthy Youth (OCCHY) is a unique national alliance founded and supported by the Department of Youth and Parish Ministries of the Archdiocese. The ministry focuses on establishing, training and leading substance abuse prevention and intervention coalitions across America.

On May 22, 2014, OCCHY's active Cicero, Illinois Coalition hosted a Town Hall Meeting for parents and teens, titled "Underage Alcohol & Substance Prevention." Sponsored by the federal government's Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration, the meeting featured law enforcement and mental health professionals, who presented talks about how to ensure safety and sobriety for teens. The presentations are available on YouTube and may be viewed on OCCHY's website.

Metropolitan Joseph with St. Vladimir's Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr (L) and The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield (R)At its annual meeting on November 13–14, 2014, the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY elected His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph as Vice Chairman of the Board, to be effective immediately. His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) serves as the Board Chairman.

The Seminary's Dean, The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, and Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, recognized Metropolitan Joseph's new position by presenting him with an icon of St. Vladimir during their visit to the Archdiocese Chancery in Englewood, NJ, on December 5. During that same meeting, the St. Vladimir's leaders also presented Patriarch John X with a check for $8000.00 designated for Syrian's suffering Christians. The gift was a tithe from the seminary's December 2 "Giving Tuesday" fund raising campaign.

Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir's has enjoyed a fruitful and reciprocal relationship with the Antiochian Archdiocese. About 16% of all of the seminary's alumni have gone on to serve in the Archdiocese, and most of today's North American Antiochian bishops are seminary alumns.

Photo: Michael KarasHis Beatitude Patriarch John X and His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph presided at Vespers Service on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Little Falls, NJ. The service was followed by an open reception. NorthJersey.com reported that the evening "was a night of simple joy in the church's North Jersey community."

Staff writer Jeff Green noted that His Beatitude "John X spoke for about 20 minutes about building unity between the church in the U.S. and abroad, as well as about peace in the Middle East, notably war-devastated Syria.

“'We are one church, we are one community and the distances do not divide us, do not separate us,'" said the Patriarch.

Enthronement choir, with Dept. of Sacred Music Chair Chris HolweyThis Sunday is Choir and Chanter Appreciation Sunday in the Antiochian Archdiocese, which we observe every year on the second Sunday of December. It is a wonderful time to celebrate the ministry and commitment of our choir members and chanters, for all the time and devotion they give to our liturgical services throughout the year. As they sing and chant the hymns of our services, they help us in the worship of our God, and guide us as we all sing praises of joy to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The music is the means by which we pray, whether it be the quicker hymns of the Troparia and Kontakia, or the slower hymns of the Cherubic Hymn in Liturgy and Praises in Matins. Each set of music helps to set the tone for what we are praying and celebrating.

May God continue to bless each of our choir members and chanters in their ministry of love, and grant them many years of continued service to God's Holy Church for the lifting up of our hearts and minds to the heavenly places!

The month of December every year is designated as Order of St. Ignatius month, in conjunction with the feast day of St. Ignatius on December 20. The Order is the philanthropic arm of the Antiochian Archdiocese and one of its most vital lay ministries, under the guidance of Metropolitan Joseph and the Archdiocese Board of Trustees. Currently, there are nearly 3,000 active members supporting approximately 38% of the Archdiocese's budget, as well as a host of other worthy causes including: camping and college conference scholarships, married seminarian assistance, Antiochian Village, Teen SOYO Special Olympics, theological and religious education, clergy retirement, Project Mexico, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), The Treehouse Family Ministry, and Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF).

Dr. Elias K. Hebeka, the former North America Vice-Chair for the Order, wrote in December 2012's The Word magazine that the Order's Governing Council "is a group of volunteers, elected or appointed members of our Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, that has the responsibility to make many of the important decisions for the Order.

Metropolitan Joseph and Archbishop Demetrios (center) and fellow bishops at 2014 meeting (photo: GANP/Dimitrios Panagos)The annual reports of the committees of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, held from September 15-18, 2014 in Dallas, TX, are now available on the Assembly's website. The committee reports provide an overview of each committee's activities between September 2013 and August 2014. The reports were presented to the full Assembly at the annual meeting in Dallas.

Also available on the Assembly's website are official photos from Assembly V.

L to R: Metropolitan Antony, Archbishop Demetrios, Patriarch John X, Metropolitan Joseph, Bishop DanielBoth hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and His Grace Bishop Daniel, were present at Metropolitan Joseph's enthronement service at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY on December 6, 2014, and were among the honored guests of the Antiochian Archdiocese at the formal banquet. The hierarchs' congratulatory letter reads:

“On behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, we would like to express our best wishes and congratulation upon your election to the great and sacred responsibility of a chief shepherd of the flock of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. We look forward to your service to the Gospel and Body of Christ in United States of America, which with God’s help, will be inspirational, bringing life-giving impulses also to the efforts toward unity in the Holy Orthodox Church on North American continent.

On Monday, December 8, the Antiochian Metropolitans and Bishops, gathered for the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, met with His Beatitude Patriarch John X at Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, NJ.

On the eve of the Enthronement, Peter Smith of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviewed His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and His Beatitude John X of Antioch and All the East for an article titled "Antiochan Orthodox installing new leader: N. American diocese celebrates its roots." Published on December 6, 2014, reporter Smith explained that those under 50 years of age cannot remember the last enthronement of an Antiochian metropolitan.

"This event means to us a lot — joy for the faithful in America and the homeland," Patriarch John was quoted as saying in the article, adding, "We are one family."

The Gazette reporter also noted that Metropolitan Joseph believes that he is "on equal footing with the newest of converts. 'Even though I was born in the faith, I have to convert to the faith daily by practicing the faith and doing virtuous and Christian actions,'" His Eminence explained.

2. In addition, there will be a College Retreat the weekend of Orthodoxy Sunday, February 27—March 1, 2015. The topic is "Standing at the Foot of the Cross and the speakers are Fr. Anthony Yazge, Marek Simon, & Chris Shadid. Please register online at www.avcamp.org.

Uganda is an Oregon-sized country in East Africa, 20 hours away by air and nine time zones ahead of us, and yet, by Faith we are family. Since just after World War II, canonical Orthodoxy has been part of the life of Uganda, spread not by missionaries but rather by Ugandans themselves who sought out and found the apostolic Christian Faith they were seeking, a Faith they chose rather than accept the faiths of the colonial powers that ruled them until the early 1960's.

The Ugandan Orthodox Church is led by His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah, himself the son of the leader of those who discovered Orthodoxy and brought it to Uganda. It is a young church, vital, and working in a culture where old and new are intertwined and some traditional brick houses have solar panels to make sure the cell phones are charged every night.

On November 29 and 30, 2014, His All-Holiness Bartholomew welcomed His Holiness Pope Francis to the Ecumenical Patriarchate during the Pope's three-day visit to Turkey. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had extended the invitation to the Pope during His Holiness’ inaugural Mass in March 2013.

This visit followed a tradition established by Pope Francis’ predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the Thronal Feast of St. Andrew, the first-called of the Apostles and founder of the Church of Constantinople.

In a joint declaration signed by the Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew after the Divine Liturgy commemorating the Feast, the two noted that "Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have been forced violently from their homes." They continued, "It even seems that the value of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and may be sacrificed to other interests. And, tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many."

Patriarch John X of Antioch, Syria, and Metropolitan Joseph will be available for brief personal interviews Friday Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. NO OTHER INTERVIEWS WILL BE GRANTED BEFORE OR AFTER ENTHRONEMENT EVENTS. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact John Righetti at information below.

If you would like to attend the enthronement service , you MUST have a press pass from the Antiochian Archdiocese. Again, contact John Righetti to secure a pass. NO MEDIA WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE ENTHRONEMENT WITHOUT A PASS.

His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, paid a special visit to the community at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. His Grace has been a long-time supporter of St. Tikhon's, and came to meet with the students as well as to meet with STOTS Dean The Very Rev. Dr. Steven Voytovich.

His Grace toured the Seminary and Monastery grounds, and spoke to students during the lunch hour. "I always enjoy coming to St. Tikhon's because every time I visit I see people who are filled with joy," he commented. He also reminded those assembled of the importance of remaining joyful, and asked that they bring that same virtue out into the world as they minister to others for Christ.

The Liturgical Texts for the month of December, blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, are now ready for clergy and laity to download from the Online Liturgical Guide.

This month, Orthodox Christians find themselves in the midst of the forty-day Fast in preparation of the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Fr. Alexander Schmemann of blessed memory called this time of year the "Winter Pascha" because, as Fr. Thomas Hopko puts it, "He was worshipped by wise men that the whole of creation might adore Him in His triumph over death."